About

Introduction to Your Executive Coach

Hi, I am Doug Thorpe. My passion is being a coach for executives and busy business owners wanting to take life to the next level.

As I look back, I have always been in the middle of some kind of management and leadership situation. To this day my wife teases me about being the Captain of the Crossing Guards. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, my life centered on the military. After High School ROTC, I went to Texas A&M University on an Army scholarship, joining the nationally famous Corps of Cadets where leadership training became an even bigger part of my life. In my senior year, I led a student organization with a multi-million dollar budget responsible for large scale entertainment events; concerts and productions like Chicago, The Eagles, Elton John, Sonny & Cher, Olivia Newton-John, etc. We did 38 shows in 52 weeks. The experiences and challenges of putting these shows together were invaluable to my growing understanding of management and leadership.

Upon graduation, I was commissioned a lieutenant in the Army. Four years and an MBA later, I was a Captain and left the service for civilian life. Texas Commerce Bank in Houston was my first civilian job. Little did I know that this bank was to be one of the most successful institutions of its kind. The bank produced huge profits and weathered some of the toughest financial times (the oil and real estate busts of the 80’s). We eventually merged with JP Morgan Chase, but not before growing from $14 billion to $27 billion during my time there. No, I don’t claim credit for all that success, but the point is, I was managing business units through periods of extreme growth and occasional hardship. The leadership laboratory we had was unparalleled.

In 1998, I left banking and started my own consulting business. It grew into a series of different start-ups, thus fueling my entrepreneurial spirit. For ten years I was involved either with private investors or other companies building various service companies. At every turn, managers were asking me about ways to improve their effectiveness and reach, thus my evolution into becoming a leadership consultant and coach.

Through all of this, I found my first passion is helping people face serious challenges in their professional or personal lives.

On the heels of the 2007 national financial crisis, I saw a need in my community. I founded a non-denominational, faith based career transition organization called Jobs Ministry Southwest. During the next few years, over 4,500 clients attended training, joined work groups, and participated in job search and career coaching programs sponsored and hosted by the organization. Over 100,000 man-hours of training was delivered.

Today, in addition to writing and speaking, I provide executive coaching and mentor services. My clients are companies and business leaders seeking fresh ideas for development of high performance leaders, C-suite one-on-one, and team development. My firm is called HeadwayExec, LLC.

By way of this blog, I hope to provide you with fresh ideas for leadership thought, inspiration to reach higher goals, and create deeper personal fulfillment.

My wife, Susan and I are the proud parents of five very fine young adults and a growing list of in-laws. We have 7 grandchildren. We are members of First Baptist Church, Richmond, Texas. When I am not being a spouse, parent or grandparent, I enjoy golf and an occasional $100 hamburger; that’s a joke among private pilots.

Here’s What I Believe:

Servant leadership provides the best results.

Everyone has unique gifts that need some encouragement to blossom into amazing talent.

Growth cannot exist without change. Change is hard for most people.

Our journey on this earth will be revealed in chapters. Each chapter has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

We are made to laugh; fun laughs with close friends and loved ones.

As adults, we learn best when mimicking success patterns of others.

There is someone whose life is waiting to be drastically changed by your existence. They won’t be found if you are sitting still.

Veteran Owned

New Book for New Leaders

The first time you are put in a Manager’s role, you wonder what just happened.

Even experienced Managers find themselves looking for answers as they move up the ladder.In this book, I’ve taken my 25+ years of management and leadership experience, coaching hundreds of professionals to give YOU some common sense ideas to use.

Lessons for Leaders

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New Book for New Leaders

The first time you are put in a Manager’s role, you wonder what just happened.

Even experienced Managers find themselves looking for answers as they move up the ladder.In this book, I’ve taken my 25+ years of management and leadership experience, coaching hundreds of professionals to give YOU some common sense ideas to use.